Family Connections spring 2014

the self advocacy issue

Self Advocacy: Introduction To Champions For Change, A Self-Advocacy Guidebook pg. 12

who advocates for millennials in canada? pg. 22

Reader Review: The Community

Engagement Toolkit pg. 8

we need mother goose in spanish! pg. 18

Council for Families

The BC Council for Families Magazine Spring 2014

FamilyConnections

editor Tina Albrecht

art director & design Tina Albrecht

contributors Beth Hutchinson, Cara Hykawy, Tina Albrecht, Joel Kaplan, Kerry Watts, Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond

subscriptionsBy membership with the BC Council for Families. www.bccf.ca

Family Connections is published four times per year by the BC Council for Families. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Council, its members or funders.

#208–1600 West 6th Ave Vancouver, bc v6J 1R3t 604 678 8884e [email protected]

Established in 1977, the BC Council for Families is a registered non-profit society. Registration #0488189-09-28

issn#1195-9428

officers of the societySylvia Tremblay · President, FraserJohn Thornburn · Vice President, FraserJoel Kaplan · Executive Director

board of directorsSultan Almajil · InteriorDeb Day · IslandKarl Eberle · NorthTim Fairgrieve · Vancouver CoastalAaron Francis · InteriorLynn Locher · NorthSandra Routledge · Vancouver CoastalKatie Tichauer · Vancouver CoastalJay Timms · FraserYing Xu · Vancouver Coastal

© 2014 BC Council for Families

Focus

12 Self Advocacy: Introduction To Champions For Change, A Self-Advocacy Guidebook

Advocating for oneself or for someone else is not always an easy thing to do but it is a very important thing to do well.

Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond

18 We Need Mother Goose in Spanish! The goal of implementation of a spanish-speaking program is to help immigrant

families build a sense of community. Beth Hutchinson

Departments

3 From the Editor’s Desk

4 News & Notes

6 Toolbox

9 Good to Know

22 Balancing Act Who advocates for millennials in Canada? It might not be who you would expect.

23 Final Word Advocacy is what organizations, associations, or individuals do for people who

need to have their voices heard.

volume 18, issue 1 spring 2014

2 Family Connections Spring 2014

FamilyConnections

approaches. On page 6 BC Alliance of Professionals Serving Young Parents coordinator Kerry Watts reviews a short film featuring a young First Nations mother who shares her story about being a teen parent.

In other news here at the Council we are gearing up to launch our new website. It has been months in the making and we are very proud and excited about unveiling it to you; our core users. The new website will be filled with great new and useful features. We are looking for individuals who are interested in becoming early adopters and helping us test the new site as we prepare for launch. If you are interesting in getting involved email me at [email protected]. Additionally, we are striving towards a website that features the stories and experiences of people like yourselves and the families that you serve. If you have a story and/or image that you would like to share with us please email them to us!

As usual it is my hope that you find this issue to be informative and that the content enhances your daily work with families. Thank you for reading! If you have comments, questions, or suggestions for articles or a theme for an upcoming issue, just drop me a line at [email protected].

From the Editor’s Desk

Tina Albrecht, Editor

At one point or another you may have heard your parents tell you that you need to stand up for

yourself. If you were like me after hearing those words you probably decided that it meant that the next time our mom or dad asked you to do the dishes or mow the lawn that you could “standup” for yourself and say NO! I know the first time I pulled this one I wasn’t met with resounding applause from my parents for standing-up for myself. Growing up I noticed that my older sister was much better at “standing-up” for herself than I was and I quickly learned there was a big difference between just stating my opinion or what I thought should be happening and negotiating with my parents for what I wanted. I was eventually able to negotiate my way out of piano lessons and into painting classes. That was a huge win for me!

To a certain extent self-advocacy is just that, standing up for ourselves, our wants, our needs and our rights. An integral part of the self advocacy process is learning how to advocate well and in a manner that will give us the results that we are looking for. In this issue of Family Connections you will find an introduction to self advocacy by Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond on page 12. On page 18 Parent-Child Mother Goose coordinator Beth Hutchinson shares with us how one Spanish speaking mother successfully started a very popular PCMGP program after advocating for her own needs as a parent who wanted to pass her native language on to her child. 14 years later the program is still going strong.

Sometimes advocacy doesn’t mean that you have be at the frontline fighting your own battles, sometime you can achieve positive results with more subtle

Spring 2014 Family Connections 3

It’s that time of year: Board nomination now open Gain insight, network, and give back. These are just some of the benefits of being a member of the Board of the BC Council for Families. Joining the Board of Directors allows you to make a difference in your community, your province, and your life. As a member of the Board, you will work to oversee the financial wellbeing and continued growth of the BC Council for Families. The Council’s Board of Directors is currently composed of twelve members from the following regions of the province: Vancouver Coastal, Vancouver Island, Fraser, Northern, and Interior.

Do you qualify as a potential Board member?• Willingness to govern the Board of the Council;• Ability to contribute to the diversity of input to the Board’s deliberations; • Willingness to form linkages with other boards for the purposes of fulfilling the Council’s goals and objectives;

APSYP wants your ideas to make our conference better than ever! The Alliance of Professionals Serving Young Parents is looking ahead to October 2014, and planning our annual conference. This year, we’re changing it up a little! For years the conference has been held in the Lower Mainland, but we have lots of members of our network who reside on Vancouver Island, so, we’re bringing it there! The conference will be held this October in Nanaimo (exact date to be determined). We are really excited about this great opportunity to connect with and learn from people like you who are working throughout the province to support and strengthen BC’s young parent families. In order to make this an event that truly meets the needs of professionals serving young parents, we want to hear from you! If you have suggestions or preferences for workshops, panels, discussions, or any other ideas at all, please contact Kerry Watts, Program Coordinator, at [email protected], or give her a call at 604-678-8884 ext. 107. We look forward to hearing from you!

We’re sharing our knowledge on mother’s mental heath In January of this year, several staff members of the Council attended a wonderfully informative training based upon the new Mother’s Mental Health Toolkit, all about supporting postpartum women’s mental health. We learned a lot about how, as workers in the family service field, we can recognize postpartum mental health challenges in the women we work with, and help them to find the resources they need to mitigate these issues. Next up, we’re going to share all this great information with you! We’re planning workshops for fall of this year, specifically targeted towards Nobody’s Perfect Program Facilitators. The Mother’s Mental Health Toolkit is perfect for the use of those working with parents (and more specifically, mothers) or children aged 0–5 years. The training will allow Nobody’s Perfect Facilitators to incorporate the information and worksheets from the toolkit in their sessions with parents. Look for more information on these fall trainings soon!


News & Notes

• Ability to attend a maximum of four meetings a year and to be available via electronic media (telephone or email);• Previous board experience with governance is an asset;• Some specific skills that are of interest include: marketing, accounting, finance, and fundraising. Knowledge of government policy and familiarity with the corporate sector are also desired qualities of candidates. Finally, candidates should have a passion for families.

If you know someone who is a good candidate for our Board of Directors, who meets some of our criteria, email us at [email protected] and we will send them a nominations package.

Tell us all about your familyYou know a lot about our family here at the Council, now we want to know more about you and yours. Pretty soon we’ll be launching a brand new website with tons of new features and we’re looking to change things up a little bit. We’ve used a lot of stock photos on our website in the past, and while they’re great, we’re now looking to share the stories of everyday people — just like you! We want to use images, stories, and testimonials on our new website so that we can feature the real voices of families across the province and beyond.

We’re looking for:• Pictures of you & your family • Testimonials • Success stories And anything else you might be interested in sending us!

By the way — if you send us an image be sure to remember that we will be using it on our website and it may also show up in our marketing and promotional materials. So go ahead and forward your pictures, stories, and testimonials to us at [email protected]. We can’t wait to hear from you!

It’s that time of year again... Save the date for our AGM! We’re excited to announce that we have chosen a date for our 2014 Annual General Meeting. We invite you to join us on Friday, July 11, 2014 for what we know will be another great event. We might even have a special announcement in store! Stay tuned for more information.

Spring TrainingsLooking for professional development opportunities for the spring? We have a Nobody’s Perfect training scheduled with more events in the works. Keep an eye on our website for the most up-to-date training informations.

Nobody’s Perfect Facilitator Training June 2 – 5, 2014CranbrookNobody’s Perfect is a parenting education program where parents can safely share their experiences and concerns and receive the support of other parents – in addition to the support and resources brought by two skilled and knowledgeable facilitators.View Details: http://www.bccf.ca/professionals/events/info?id=104&reset=1

Connect with readers. Connect with families.

Advertising in Family Connections is a great way to showcase your events or services. Family Connections helps you get your message out to family service professionals all across BC.

special member ratesTo book your advertisement, contact:Tina Albrecht, [email protected]

Our next ad deadline is May 30, 2014.

HealthyFamilies!Family news you need to know.• New research• Policies and programs• Reports and statistics• Trainings and professional

development• Events and updates from the

BC Council for Families

Free! Delivered to your desktop every second Monday.

Subscribe online: www.bccf.ca


Toolbox

Our Stories: By First Nations Teen ParentsProduced by Parenting Path Group Productions.15 years old and pregnant, Nickie Watts, a Tseshaht First Nations teen living in Port Alberni, BC was disappointed in the images of teen pregnancy she saw on TV, in movies and on the Internet. She felt media representations of pregnant and parenting youth tended to glamourize teen pregnancy and she noticed a significant lack of resources that specifically spoke to the experiences of young First Nations parents. Not only did the films she saw in prenatal classes feature married, nuclear, working families that she as a teen parent she could not relate to, they lacked the sense of community and tradition Nicole was used to seeing in First Nations families. In 2012, Nickie, now mom to a three-year-old daughter, reconnected with her former drama teacher, who was working as a film producer. Kerry Robertson was making a parenting resource DVD called “The Parenting Path,” which explored how the traditional beliefs, values and practices Nuu-Chah-Nulth First Nation families use in raising their children are in harmony with contemporary research on parenting best practice and child development. Wanting to capture a diverse range of experience with parents of all ages, Kerry and her business partner, Juliana McCaig, approached Nicole and asked her to be in the film. Nickie agreed and during the filming, she expressed

r e a d e r r e v i e w sWhat have you been reading lately? To contribute a review, contact us at [email protected]

an interest in making a film that could serve as a resource for teenaged parents. At the draft screening of “The Parenting Path,” Nickie reiterated that interest and sparked by the idea, Kerry later approached her with the idea of becoming a co-producer. Nicole agreed and the seeds for “Our Stories” were planted. Kerry and Nickie recruited other teen parents for the film through a moms’ group at a local Young Parent Program, as well as through friends of Nickie’s, connections made during the filming of “The Parenting Path,” and community referrals. “In all cases,” says Kerry, “the parents we interviewed were willing to share because they knew the film was primarily being made for other teen parents and they wanted to in some way help them by their stories.” In fact, she says, one of the hardest parts of making the film was “editing all of the amazing stories down to a user friendly one-hour version. Many of the stories did not make it into the finished film.” “Our Stories” is a frank, heart-warming and emotional exploration of the experience of First Nations teen pregnancy and parenting. In the first half of the film, Nicole and the other participants share their experiences around finding out they were pregnant and sharing the news with their partners and other family members, seeking out community supports, making decisions around education and employment, and dealing with the stigma of teenaged

pregnancy. There are discussions about labour and delivery as well as traditional ways of welcoming and honouring a new baby. The second half of the film focuses on the joys and challenges of becoming a new parent. There are some particularly emotional moments here – both happy and sad – so it is a good idea to have a box of tissues at the ready. There is a segment entitled “Parent talk” that covers key aspects of parenting such as feeding, dental care, registering for First Nations status, financial management, and having children in foster care. The participants also discuss practicing positive parenting, balancing parenting and school, sharing traditions and culture with their children, and setting future goals. The film ends with a hopeful message and a statement from Nickie about what she has learned through making the film. One of the most unique – and refreshing – aspects of “Our Stories” is that is includes voices of both young mothers and young fathers, including Nickie’s current fiancé who became a step-father to Tia at age 17. Also included are a great-grandmother who had her first child at 17, a 15-year-old couple expecting their first child, and an expectant grandmother. Throughout the film there is a focus on the traditional practices of First Nations families. As one mother explains, “different families have different beliefs,” so the specific traditions will vary depending on which house the family comes from. Overall, the stories that are shared


by the participants reflect the diversity of experience around being a young parent and the film works to breakdown many of the stereotypes that exist around teen pregnancy and parenting. What comes through most is the love of these parents for their children. In the closing of the film, Nickie says the process of making “Our Stories” taught her a lot about her own journey as a parent and also made her aware of the fact that there was a “whole community of teens out there, who have babies and who are doing it.” For the other participants, Kerry believes it provided them with a chance to tell their own stories in their own way, advocate for themselves as young parents, and use their experiences to help others going through similar challenges. “I think without exception, the teen parents from this project were pleased and proud of how they appeared in the film, felt that they had told their stories honestly, and believed that their stories just might make a difference and help other teen parents.” The reception to “Our Stories” has been overwhelmingly positive. It has been shown to educators, school counseling staff, nurses, family support workers, social workers, and substance abuse treatment centre staff across Vancouver Island. Nick Seredick, an educator with the Alberni School District wrote, “The movie re-calibrated my own feelings towards this most important issue. [This is] a tremendous resource for everyone living in a community with young parents

regardless of where they are on a map. Their stories are universal, yet uniquely their own. This is unquestionably a movie I will never forget, one that I will view again, and one that is indeed life changing.” Feedback from other young parents has been equally encouraging. They have called the film “relatable” and “real” and one young mom said that she had cried watching the film and that it “hit home” because it reminded of her of how it had felt when she first got pregnant. Indeed, it is an invaluable resource to any program or agency that serves young parents, especially those from Aboriginal backgrounds. It can be used with both family-service providers to raise cultural awareness about First Nations tradition and culture and with pregnant and parenting teens themselves to spark discussion and open up conversations about the realities of being a young parent. Nickie Watts is now 21 and in college and she names her daughter as leading character in her life. She hopes to one day work with at-risk Aboriginal youth, specifically teen parents. Speaking about her everyday experience as a young parent and her motivation to create the film, Nickie writes, “I am a strong First Nations woman who sees the statistics against me, and yet I proceed on…. My life is not a common 21 year old’s life. I spend most days cleaning, cooking, going to school, and taking care of my daughter. I wanted to create a resource for others who would be going through the

complication of being a teen parent that I did… My goal in life is to help those in need. I want to be an inspirational figure in my daughter’s life, but I also want to be an inspiration to others.” Indeed, through the making of this film she has done exactly that. “Our Stories: By First Nations Teen Parents” is scheduled to be screened at the Cowichan Aboriginal Film Festival in April 2014. Check the festivals websites for exact screening dates and times http://aff.cowichan.net/?festival-schedule,292. If you would like to learn more about the film, you can watch a trailer here http://vimeo.com/80036619. To order a copy of the full DVD, send a request by email to [email protected]

Kerry Watts

Kerry Watts is an independent consultant with the BC

Council for Families and Program Coordinator of the

BC Alliance of Professionals Serving Young Parents. She

has been working with families in and around Metro

Vancouver for over 15 years. Kerry lives and plays on

Bowen Island with her husband and three children and

their ever-growing menagerie of pets.

nickie watts & her three-year-old daughter


The Community Engagement Toolkit: Getting your community members involved in programs planning Non-profit organizations throughout the province of British Columbia offer many programs and services that are both essential and wonderfully effective for their community members. Every community is unique, and as such, not every community requires the same types of programs and services. A one size fits all approach may not be appropriate for different communities, so altering programs and services to fit your community, with the cooperation and input from community members, can be a good solution to a variety of needs. As family service sector workers know well, bringing programs and services to the members of the community you live in is important work, and making sure to modify and adjust them to fit the needs of the unique population in the community is integral. Getting your community members engaged in determining what types of programs and services are right for them, and learning how to modify your current programs and services to meet their changing needs is made simpler with the use of the SPARCBC Community Engagement Toolkit. This Toolkit was initially developed for municipalities to use in the design and implementation of a community engagement process. Although it is generally geared towards use by municipalities, it can be easily adapted for use by community agencies and practitioners. The SPARCBC Community Engagement Toolkit can be used as a set of guidelines to implementing a community engagement process that is tailored towards specific issues and developments in your community.

r e a d e r r e v i e w sWhat have you been reading lately? To contribute a review, contact us at [email protected]

A structured mechanism to developing a community engagement process that simultaneously allows for flexibility in your approach, the Community Engagement Toolkit is, by all means, a useful resource. With five well laid-out steps to follow and modify at your discretion, this free toolkit can be utilized by any organization across the province with ease. The five steps involved in the community engagement process include: Assess level of community impact, identify appropriate types of community engagement, select specific community engagement methods, develop a community engagement plan, and implement a community engagement plan. The toolkit helps you to identify the level of community impact that a change in organizational action may launch. By thinking through the level of impact a potential change in programs or services will have on your clientele, guided by the toolkit, your organization can better determine level of community engagement required to appropriately address any concerns and collect any opinions or suggestions. Once the level of impact has been determined, it’s a streamlined process to identify the appropriate type of community engagement process. The toolkit cross-references levels of community impact with the appropriate type of community engagement processes required. This community engagement matrix provides an easy-to-reference chart for determining what options are best for your organization, under your specific set of circumstances. Finally, when it comes to implementation of your community engagement process, the toolkit provides

a worksheet framework to jump-start the action and guide your collective thinking into a comprehensive plan. Getting your clientele and community members involved in planning for future programs and services, communicating their needs for programs and services, and engaging them in the process of modifications being made to current programs and services is important. Knowing what you clientele wants and needs is the cornerstone of providing effective programs and services. The Community Engagement Toolkit facilitates this process in an easy-to-use, and comprehensive manner, and best of all, it’s free to download! Your organization can only benefit from involving your community members in decisions that directly affect the programs and services that they are currently taking part in, or are going to be offered to them. Download the toolkit here: http://www.sparc.bc.ca/component/rubberdoc/doc/534-community-engagement-toolkit.pdf


Toolbox

Cancer Advocacy Have you or someone you love been

affected by cancer? You can make a difference in the lives of people who have cancer by becoming an advocate. Visit Canadian Cancer Action Network for a wealth of information.

• http://www.ccanceraction.ca/

Caregiver Advocacy If you’re a caregiver you know how

challenging it can be without a solid support system. The Canadian Caregiver Coalition is there to provide support and respond to the needs of caregivers in Canada.

• http://www.ccc-ccan.ca/index.php

Child & Youth Issues Advocacy Who advocates for children and youth

in the province of BC? First Call BC is at the forefront.

• http://www.firstcallbc.org/

Did you know that there is a representative in BC whose job is to advocate for children and youth on a full time basis? Visit Mary-Ellen Turpel-Lafond’s website to learn more.

• http://www.rcybc.ca/content/home.asp

Society for Children and Youth is an organization dedicated to improving the well-being of children and youth in British Columbia and providing them with a strong voice.

• http://www.scyofbc.org/

Good to Know

We’ve compiled a list of helpful, advocacy-focused websites to get you started

in a variety of advocacy areas.

Parent Support Services Society of BC protects the safety & well-being of children and promotes the health of families by providing support, education, advocacy, research & resources.

• http://www.parentsupportbc.ca/about

Disabilities Advocacy Do you need some support in your

advocacy for people with disabilities? The BC Coalition of People with Disabilities is a place of support, information, and advocacy.

• http://www.bccpd.bc.ca/programs/advocacy.htm

Looking for information on disabilities self-advocacy? Inclusion BC is the hallmark agency.

• http://www.inclusionbc.org/self-advocates/bcsaf

The Family Support Institute’s goal is to strengthen and support families faced with the extraordinary circumstances that come with having a family member who has a disability.

• http://www.familysupportbc.com/

Another great self-advocacy site packed with information: the BC Self-Advocacy Foundation.

• http://www.bcsaf.org/who-bc-self-advocacy-foundation

Mental Health Advocacy One in four British Columbians will

experience a mental illness at some point in their lives. That’s why it’s so important to advocate for the promotion of mental wellness and recovery. The Canadian Mental Health Association does just that.

• http://www.cmha.bc.ca/how-we-can-help

The Action, Research, & Advocacy Association is a grass-roots organization that provides advocacy, information, and supports to people with mental health concerns.

• http://aramentalhealth.org/

Other Advocacy Organizations Alzheimer Society of BC is dedicated to

helping people concerned with or facing dementia to have the confidence and skills to maintain quality of life.

• http://www.alzheimerbc.org/

If you need to access a database of further resources, here it is! BC 211 is an easy, visible, non-judgmental entry point for people looking for help 24/7, 365 days a year.

• http://www.bc211.ca/index.html


Connections


family connections: T stands for Talk. In what ways can the users of our new website make their voices heard?joel kaplan: The Talk portion of TAG will manifest itself on the website as people being able to engage with each other around issues of concern to them. Issues such as parenting, public policy, teenagers, early childhood, and much more. We will provide several methods that individuals can use to talk to each other. These include; forums, ongoing blogs, guest blogs, and being able to talk to professionals and/or organizations that represent a particular cause.

family connections: A stands for Act. What are some of the ways people can use TAG to take action on an issue that they are passionate about? joel kaplan: Acting via our website will mainly involve professionals and families being able to take surveys several times per year. The surveys will engage the public, we will aggregate their opinions and viewpoints, and build a repository of responses on issues that come up in the surveys. We will be reviewing the responses and determining what issues families are facing, and we will be monitoring the tangible impact on real families. Essentially, we’ll be taking the pulse of BC families. The surveying will reinforce the realness of these issues and put a voice to the problems. We’ll be giving organizations the opinions of real live people to use in a positive way

Joel KaplanExecutive Director, BC Council for Families

In the past, the BC Council for Families was a leader in the collection and dissemination of family data in the province. Over time, this role diminished due to various reasons, but we never forgot how important a role it was to be an aggregator of essential data that can help to inform political decisions. So, we decided to bring that role back to the forefront. The BC Council for Families’ new initiative, TAG, aims to do just that. TAG has been in the works for some time now, and we’re excited to launch it this spring in concert with our brand new, multi-functional website. We sat down with Joel Kaplan Executive Director of the Council to chat about what the TAG project involves and the myriad of benefits to families and family serving professionals that accompany it.

family connections: Can you give us an overview of what the TAG initiative entails? joel kaplan: The TAG project is the product of research that was done several years ago in an application for a United Way grant on public policy. It was based on the notion that the social services that are currently benefitting families need to be identified and social services that do not yet exist but need to exist could be determined as well. So, we decided to make this happen. The whole TAG project centres on the idea that we identify public policy issues that affect families and allow families to have their own voice and tell the story of their immediate concerns and issues.

with the government to make changes and communicate need. The Council will send results throughout the field and to government agencies. We will also provide results to the individuals responding to the surveys. Additionally we hope to release reports of the results at public forums throughout BC, where the public will be the speakers. In the future, we would like to facilitate community meetings where the focus will be on the voices of citizens. If we could use the opinions and voices of real people and bring those to the government, it may just influence a better outcome in terms of making change. For professionals and organizations running programs and services, we will offer a surveying function embedded within the website that allows for pre and post-testing capabilities. This tool will serve programs all across the province. Service providers will be able to develop a pre and post-test in relation to their need, and collect information as to how effective their programs and services are. This is a great way for agencies to take action and know what works in their programs and what needs some improvement.

family connections: G stands for Get Involved. How can users utilize our website to make change happen?joel kaplan: Get involved encompasses a whole array of things! The Get Involved section will allow registration via the website for family life education and family-support


The whole TAG project centres on the idea that we identify

public policy issues that affect families and allow families to

have their own voice and tell the story of their immediate

concerns and issues

programs that our affiliates will host on our website. For example, a professional organization that provides support to families could host registration for their programs through our website. This could be anything from our proprietary programs such as My Tween and Me, to any thing else that may be on offer across the province. This is the first time that we have opened up our website to other programs and services! We are really excited to support other family life education programs throughout British Columbia. Finally, we have our resource bank – a collection of resources that are available to families and professionals that will include many of our current resources but will be greatly enhanced. Our current Council resources will be revised, revamped, redesigned, and diversified. We will identify additional resources based on what issues and concerns are raised by parents and professionals in our forums. We will be adding to our resource bank the most relevant books, videos, DVDs, and more. We are also going to be making our resources available in a single-copy sale option. The most important aspect of “g” is that organizations will be able to host their causes and promote it on our site.

family connections: What’s the most exciting new aspect of the TAG website? joel kaplan: The fact that there’s an integration of all of the aforementioned

components such as easy access, collaboration at a real level, surveying, evaluation, registration, resources, forums, blogging, and so much more that is all included is really exciting. This will be a collaborative space for the three focuses – Talk, Act, and Get Involved, rather than all of these professionals and organizations operating individually and in a tunnel. We can emerge from our silos and interact in a participatory manner. We will, essentially, be going back to our roots as a “Council”, but now it will be a virtual one. The capacity of TAG is beyond what we are aware that any website out there in the internet can currently do.

family connections: What’s going to keep professionals and families coming back to the website? joel kaplan: They will continue to be able to find the latest information and resources, and as their family, or families that they serve, grow and evolve, there will be resources and family support programs available across the lifespan. This website is really going to go where no one else has gone before. We will be supporting families in challenges and issues that they might have across the whole life continuum. As we see what issues are emerging over time we can alter our services and resources as to what’s relevant. We will be letting people know what’s trending, and what’s current.

Another aspect that will keep people coming back is the ability for professionals and families to upload their reviews, testimonies, and social media. Essentially, people can comment on or rate anything we offer on our website, be it a resource, video, or program. Additionally, people can upload their own photos and other forms of media, to show us what’s going on in their corner of the province, or in their program. It’s going to be a very interactive experience.

If you want to get involved with this project we are gifting early access to anyone who is a current contact or affiliate with our website. It is possible to become an early adopter through December 31st, 2014 and we are allowing our current contacts to have access to the website as premium users.

If you have any ideas or suggestions for the new TAG initiative, we would love to hear from you! Send Joel a line at [email protected] or give him a call at 604-678-8884 ext. 102.


SELF ADvoCACYIntroduction to Champions for Change, a self-advocacy guidebook


Focus

rights and interests if he or she is requesting services or dissatisfied with the services received through the child-serving system. The goal of the guide is to empower youth or the advocates working on their behalf with the information needed to speak up and be heard. It describes the skills and provides the tools needed to help them build their case. The act of advocating can be emotionally charged, frustrating and confusing and may not always turn out as planned. Advocacy requires courage, reason and persistence. It also means being organized, respectful and factual. With these skills, a person can increase his or her self-confidence and feel more empowered to speak up on matters affecting their life or the lives of others.

Some people have a lot of experience with advocacy, either on their own behalf or on behalf of someone else. Others may not have the same knowledge or have the experience to understand how the often complicated child-serving system works. However, when people have the information and knowledge, they also have power – the power to speak for themselves and determine their own choices and future.

Why advocate?Advocacy requires a valuable set of skills that helps individuals address issues and concerns that affect their daily lives and the lives of others. It is a problem-solving exercise that involves bringing an issue or injustice to the

One of the responsibilities of my Office is to advocate on behalf of

vulnerable children and youth, including those with special needs, in foster

care, involved with youth justice, or receiving other services my office is

authorized to oversee. These vulnerable children and youth need to know

that they have rights, specifically the right to be heard and supported in

matters affecting their lives. By learning to advocate on their own behalf,

children and youth have the capacity to become champions for change in

their own lives.

A dvocating for oneself or for someone else is not always an easy thing to do, but it is a very important thing

to learn how to do well. In 2011, my Office produced a guidebook, Champions for Change, that is intended to give people the power to speak up and to provide individual youth or the adult supporters who might be advocating on their behalf the necessary information and tools to do so. This article is going to draw heavily from the guidebook and at the end I will let you know how to access your own copy. The purpose of the guide is to share ways in which youth can advocate for themselves and to assist the adults who may be advocating on their behalf. It is intended to advance a youth’s


Focus

The act of advocating can be emotionally charged,

frustrating and confusing and may not always turn

out as planned.

attention of those who have the authority to change the outcome of the decision. For a variety of reasons, many people do not challenge decisions or make complaints about decisions affecting their lives or the lives of their loved ones. They may fear that they will get in trouble or they believe that it’s too complicated or a waste of their time. These individuals may not believe their efforts will make a difference. They may also feel intimidated by the system because they are unfamiliar with the processes or the bureaucratic language that is often used. Sometimes individuals, especially children and youth, can feel powerless when dealing with bureaucratic systems. However, advocacy is ultimately about protecting their rights and interests. It may require a great deal of work to be heard, but it often results in positive outcomes. Self-advocacy is when people take action to speak up for themselves, rather than having others speak on their behalf.

Elements of Self-advocacyChampions for Change outlines some of the basic requirements for self-advocacy. These are:

Style Advocacy is an assertive and collaborative approach to solving problems. It is often not a quiet exercise. It is also not about bullying and name calling, but about standing up for your rights and interests. An aggressive style will not help you achieve your objective. Instead, it will likely cause people to feel threatened and to become defensive.

Process The child-serving system is large and complex. One of the reasons people face difficulties addressing their issues or concerns is because they are often unfamiliar with the processes involved. They may not know how to file a complaint or who they need to talk to. Understanding processes can help you get from A to B more efficiently and effectively. It can also help to avoid delays, such as being sent back to complete necessary complaint/appeal steps missed while trying to resolve an issue.

Empowerment Regardless of circumstance, individuals can influence their personal situation. Empowerment is about sharing

your thoughts and views on matters that are important to your life or the lives of individuals who are important to you. It’s about speaking up and using your voice and being included in the conversation whether you were asked to participate or not.

Assessment Before you can assess next steps, it’s critical that you’ve identified both the issue and the possible solution. If you remain dissatisfied with the decision, you need to decide whether to continue with your advocacy efforts to see if the decisioncan be reconsidered. These efforts require critical thinking and problem solving. Some

issues can be easily resolved, while others will require enhanced systemic advocacy.It is critical that you assess your motivation underlying your advocacy request. Are youadvocating as a result of revenge, anger, hurt, grief, loss, money, need or because your rights haven’t been upheld or a principle of administrative fairness hasn’t been met?

Knowledge Knowledge is power. The more information and knowledge you have about processes, policy, legislation, programs, resources and services, the more empowered you will be as a Champion for Change either for yourself or the person for whom you are

advocating. Information gathering and critical thinking are key parts of effective advocacy. Background information is useful as long as it’s relevant to the current situation. When the issue involves children or youth, time is of the essence. It is important to stay on task and use time wisely, limiting the information to key facts and not hearsay or anecdotal statements. The more you know about the legislation, policies and complaints process involved, the better equipped you are.

These requirements make up the acronym SPEAK, which is what you want to be able to do.


Advocating for oneself

or for someone else is not

always an easy thing to do,

but it is a very important

thing to learn how to

do well.


Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond is BC’s Representative

for Children and Youth. She holds a doctorate of

law from Harvard Law School, a master’s degree in

international law from Cambridge University, and a

law degree from Osgoode Hall. A member of the

Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, she is active in her First

Nations community. She actively supports healthy

families and seeks greater respect and recognition

for the unique situation of children in society,

particularly vulnerable children.

Ready to Start?Are you ready? Here is a checklist that will help you decide whether you can move to the next stage of advocacy – persuading the decision-maker. Champions for Change recommends that these items be followed in order to strengthen your case. Some may not apply to your situation, which may mean there is not a lot of evidence for your case, but if you have checked off all the items, you are ready. If one or more isn’t checked off, take a moment to decide how important it is to you before moving on.

• I know what my issue is and have the background and information about the current situation to clearly identify my concerns.• I know what I am requesting and why I am requesting it.• I know the jurisdiction and mandate (the level of a government or community organization responsible for decision-making in your case) that my request falls within.• I’ve done my fact-finding and know the players and key decision-makers who can help with my request.• I have a copy of the relevant laws, practice standards and/or policy information that relate to the decision that has been or is about to be made.

What the Representative can doThe Representative for Children and Youth provides advocacy services to ensure that the voice and views of young people who are in care and their families are heard and that their rights and interests are upheld in decisions that are being made about them. As of Sept. 30, 2013, the Representative is also now responsible to advocate for young adults (from age 19 to age 24) who have developmental disabilities and are eligible for services from Community Living BC.

When you contact the Representative, a Child and Youth Advocate or Youth and Young Adult Advocate will do one or more of the following things:• Support your self-advocacy by providing information about rights, policies, relevant government services and available complaints processes • Provide youth with advice and coaching on effective self-advocacy • Send you relevant written materials • Connect you with natural or community advocates for ongoing support • Assist you in finding a local advocate or support person • In some situations, directly advocate on behalf of a child or youth to ensure that their views and interests are heard and considered in decision-making.

Please remember that the Representative’s advocates are mandated only to assist children,youth and young adults who are accessing government services that are designated in our legislation (services provided to children and youth under the Child, Family and Community Service Act or to young adults under the Community Living Authority Act).

Where you can you turn to for further guidance on advocacy/self advocacyIf you need assistance in advocacy you might try the following resources:

Young people:• Youth In Care in Canada: http://youthincare.ca/• Vancouver Island University Student Guide to Self-Advocacy: http://www.viu.ca/studentservices/documents/SelfAdvocacyGuide.pdf

Youth and young adults with developmental disabilities:• BC People First: https://www.facebook.com/pages/British-Columbia-People-First/131251286904187• BC Self Advocacy Foundation: http://www.inclusionbc.org/self-advocates• Inclusion BC: http://www.inclusionbc.org/• People First of Canada: http://peoplefirstofcanada.ca/index_en.php

on line resources:Self-Advocacy Manual (Uncovering the Mysteries of your Learning Disability): http://www.ldinfo.com/self_advocacy_manual.htm

I hope this was helpful to you. For more detailed information, Champions for Change is available on our website http://www.rcybc.ca/Images/PDFs/Reports/RCY-ChampionsForChange-FINAL%20JULY%2020.pdf



Focus

We Need Mother Goose in Spanish!

The Parent-Child Mother Goose Program is a group program for parents to attend with their babies and young children. It

focuses on the power and pleasure of songs, rhymes, and stories, all presented orally by a facilitator. Parents learn gradually through repetition and are able to use the songs and rhymes at home with their children. It is an important program that has been shown to be a positive contributor to the parent-child relationship, to the development of the child, and to fostering social connections amongst the participants.

This is the story of one woman who attended the Parent-Child Mother Goose

Program, had an idea, talked about it, and got assistance from others to bring that idea into a living reality. For ten years now, Spanish speaking parents, their babies and young children, some grandparents and a couple of Parent-Child Mother Goose Program ® (PCMGP) teachers have been singing and sharing stories at Britannia Community Centre in Vancouver’s Eastside.

Rita Arciniega first came to an English-language Parent-Child Mother Goose Program 14 years ago, also at Britannia Community Centre. Rita remembers, “I barely spoke English; I had only been in Canada for less than a year when I first attended

the program with my 3-month old baby. My husband made the phone call to register my daughter and I. At the time I was unable to have an English conversation on the phone.” Rita fell in love with the ways she learned to connect with her daughter, and found the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program to be a very special time that they spent together.

Rita and her husband speak Spanish at home. Passing on her language, and the heritage that accompanies it, is very important to them. During her experience in the English-speaking PCMGP, Rita began to have thoughts of a Spanish-speaking program that could meet the needs of individuals whose

Beth Hutchinson


to Britannia Community Education, as well as the loyalty he felt to the leaders at a personal level, it was a natural progression that influenced him to go forward with implementing a Spanish PCMGP. He joined Rita’s cause and began to advocate for the needs of his clients.

The greater goal in the implementation of Spanish-speaking Parent-Child Mother Goose

is to help immigrant families build a strong sense of community through their common language and cultural heritage. This sense of community allows them to raise stronger and confident children who can be better integrated into the school system, local communities, and Canadian society as a whole.

Finally the program got started…

Seeking and finding participants At the beginning, the pioneers of the

Spanish-speaking PCMGP program went

first language was Spanish, and others who might be interested in learning the language. She began advocating for a program that would not only meet her needs but also the needs of others like her.

Jane Cobb, the program teacher, felt that this suggestion was an important one, as it met the program needs of their community. She asked Rita if she would be willing to lead a Spanish-speaking Parent-Child Mother Goose Program, and Rita said yes!

Mike Evans is the Community Education Coordinator at Britannia Community Centre. He has a history at that site, including working with elementary and high schools, community centres, and public libraries. He has worked in schools as a teacher and counsellor and had always supported the community education program before moving into the position of coordinator. Mike was already working to support the English speaking PCMGP. He thought that the Spanish program was a natural direction for the work they were already going to take. Mike supported the idea of a Spanish-speaking PCMGP because he recognized the immense value to the community of the PCMGP. Mike thought that since there were already Parent-Child Mother Goose Programs operating in languages other than English and the new program was going to be beneficial

All of the families, who started out in the program

together, want to stay together as their children

graduate to a higher age range, and so all

of the original families come altogether.

to churches, the Health Unit, and other community centres to let them know about the program. The facilitators rely a lot on word of mouth to spread information about the program. The PCMGP facilitators have maintained their relationship with the Health Unit. The Unit makes referrals, and the facilitators hold some program spots for families who face many challenges.

The Spanish-speaking PCMGP also has a relationship with the Infant Development Program, and elementary schools, which make referrals.

Keeping it up: The maintenance of the program

The program has been running all these years based on the positive outcomes that facilitators see happening as a result of attendance at the program. Claudia Blaney and Maria Puga are two mothers who both started out as program attendees in the


Focus

Beth Hutchinson

Beth is the provincial coordinator of the Parent-Child

Mother Goose Program® in BC housed at the BC

Council for Families. Her background in the PCMGP

and in the Infant Development Program have boosted

her understanding of expressiveness, interaction and

stories and the gifts they bring to our human lives.

English program, and then took the training to become PCMGP facilitators themselves. They describe many positive outcomes for children such as, an improvement in the relationship between parent and child, the cultivation of friendships between participants, the increased development of children’s language abilities, and the use of rhymes and stories in putting the children to bed at night, just to mention a few.

Facing the inevitable challenges One of the main challenges the Spanish-

speaking program has faced is that there are too many attendees! All of the families, who started out in the program together, want to stay together as their children graduate to a higher age range, and so all of the original families come altogether. The program is popular!

Another major challenge, as expressed by Mike Evans, “Budget, always budget.” Direct and concise, this statement clearly expresses the amount of work that exists in finding funds to keep this program afloat. However, both the Vancouver Public Library and the Britannia Community Centre continue in their commitment to the program. Mike says that his inspiration to continue comes from seeing, “the pure joy in the room,” when he visits the program.

RhymesThere is certainly great value in the silliness of these:

al subir una montañaAl subir una montañauna pulga me picola agarre por las narices,y se me escapo! Going up the hilla flea bit meI grabbed it by the nose,and it got away!

my body Mi cuerpo, mi cuerpo hace musica, Mi cuerpo, mi cuerpo hace musica. Mis manos hacen: clap, clap, clap.

Mis pies hacen: stomp, stomp, stomp. Mi boca dice: la, la, la. Mi cuerpo hace: cha, cha, cha! Mi cuerpo, mi cuerpo hace musica, Mi cuerpo, mi cuerpo hace musica. My body, my body makes music, My body, my body makes music. My hands make: clap, clap, clap. My feet make: stomp, stomp, stomp. My mouth says: la, la, la.My body makes : cha, cha, cha!My body, my body makes music,My body, my body makes music.

Spanish-speaking PCMGP now and in the future

Presently, there are five Spanish-speaking PCMGP programs with 90 families in attendance. They are Canadian families with roots in many different Spanish-speaking countries, predominantly countries in Central and South America. A significant number have one Spanish-speaking parent and one non Spanish-speaking parent. Rita is a central figure, as she teaches in all of the five programs. The Spanish-speaking programs serve three levels: infant, toddler, and preschooler. The families who attend the program move from one level to another as their children age, they have a long-term involvement. Long-term relationships are formed and families build a community within the program.

Julie Iannacone, the Manager of Services for Children and Teens at the Vancouver Public Library sums up the impact of the Spanish-speaking Parent-Child Mother Goose Program in one statement, “Caregivers tell us that as a result of attending the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program in Spanish, they are more confident and comfortable in using songs and rhymes with their babies and toddlers to support their language and social development skills. Our partnerships in the community are crucial in making the

connections that bring these families into the library and community network of literacy and learning support. We know that the program has made a real difference in the lives of these families.”


call, “A Better Generational Deal”, that is, to convince the government that young people are getting the short end of the stick when it comes to government spending. Reducing student debt, allowing youth to save for a home, be able to start a family, and save for their retirement, are all goals of the Generation Squeeze campaign.

Here at the Council, we may have sat and racked our brains when it came to picturing the voice of Generation Y, but the truth is, each and every member of Gen Y who sends an email, signs an online petition, or tweets at their MLA is advocating for themselves and their fellow millennials in a way that makes sense to them. While our generation may not have an easily identifiable spokesperson, we do have a few organizations working on our behalf, and more than a few individuals who are making their voices heard all across the digital world.

http://gensqueeze.ca/

Not too long ago, we had a brainstorming session on the topic of advocacy here at the Council. Someone asked the question, “Who speaks for millennials in Canada? Is there a voice speaking for this generation’s needs?” We all sat around, staring into the void, racking our brains, and sadly, we couldn’t really come up with an answer. So, who is a millennial and why aren’t they getting involved in politics? Millennials, also known as Generation Y, are somewhat loosely defined as a category, but are generally considered to be those who were born beginning in the early 80s to the early 2000s. They are often broadly characterized in ways that are both favourable and sometimes not so favourable. ‘Civic-minded and neoliberal, with values of inclusiveness and acceptance, re-defining what it means to be successful’, are some favourable descriptors. ‘Narcissistic, selfish, generation me, no work ethic’, are some of the less favourable.

As a member of Generation Y, I can safely say I’ve heard many of these stereotypes applied to me and my peers and while I definitely can’t speak for my entire generation, I can confirm that, for the most part, that’s just what they are; stereotypes. Are we uninvolved in politics because we are too self-absorbed to care? Is it because we are unable to take a look up from our cell phones long enough to notice what’s going on? Or is it something more? The fact is that many of my peers feel a sense of disenfranchisement when it comes to politics. In general, we have less sway with the government as compared to other generations such as the baby boomers and we’re fully aware of it. It’s a sort of learned helplessness –

why campaign for Generation Y, when we don’t trust the government to both listen to us, and then follow through on promises they make? A shift in values generationally has resulted in the lowest levels of voter turn out in many years. Young people just aren’t showing up to the polls, nor are they becoming involved in other more traditional types of political engagement.

But, this doesn’t mean that we aren’t getting involved and making sure our voices are heard in other, less traditional ways. The advent of online activism, also known as clicktivism, is one of the top ways in which millennials are participating. Clicktivism, the burgeoning frontrunner of youth activism, is the use of social media and other online methods to promote a cause. With more and more companies, organizations, and even governments becoming active on social media, youth can reach out directly with just the stroke of a keyboard and click of a mouse. Youth are making themselves heard in a public forum; it’s just not your grandparent’s forum.

So, if millennials aren’t getting together and forming advocacy groups to lobby for their own interests, and are instead becoming active through social media, sitting behind their smart phones dispersed throughout the country, who advocates for young people in Canada? One of the only answers to that question is; Generation Squeeze, a campaign that is directed by a network of partners who are doing a good job of representing the wants and needs of Generation Y in the public sphere. The Generation Squeeze campaign’s goal is to facilitate what they

It might not be who you expect.

Who advocates for millennials in Canada?

Balancing Act

Cara Hykawy

Cara is a recent graduate of the University of British

Columbia with a degree in Psychology. She works in

the Communications Department at the BC Council for

Families, where she enthusiastically advocates for families

and family serving professionals. Cara is passionate about

utilizing social media to help get the message out that

healthy families equal healthy communities.


Advocacy is what organizations, associations or individuals do with or for people who need to have their issues known and voices heard. Inherent within the BC Council for Families’ name is ‘for families’. Therefore, we advocate on behalf of families at the various tables, meetings, public forums, and more, that we actively participate in. On the other hand, we are strategically moving towards advocating with families and individuals as well as for them. The ‘with’ aspect is critical from my point of view.

It can be intimidating to be the only person advocating about an issue. It can be challenging to find the right words to articulate challenges, or to gain the confidence to break the mould and demand more than the status quo. But, if you don’t talk about issues affecting you and your family and work to raise consciousness, no one will ever know how you are being impacted. If you start to talk about your challenges on a platform where you feel safe, comfortable, and like you’re actually being heard you can garner much more community support for your advocacy issues. That’s where the Council comes in.

We want to be here to provide you with a space where these types of conversations and actions surrounding advocacy can happen in a place of collaboration and support. In this issue of Family Connections I hope you have read my interview about the TAG project on page 10. Our new TAG initiative is all about advocacy for and with families. We are hoping the many partner agencies, families, and professionals serving families throughout BC will

Advocacy and self-advocacy – what are they? Thoughts and considerations

The Final Word

gather together virtually and advocate for issues that they believe in and support. By Talking (T) we will hear what concerns you and you will gain support and acquire answers. By Acting (A) we will gather your many and diverse voices and share the results of surveys with the policy-makers and influencers in BC – the Government and their Ministries, as well as not for profit organizations and charities serving families throughout the province. By Getting Involved (G) you will have the opportunity to declare your issue de jour throughout the entire province. Every organization will have a chance to promote their own particular cause such as: “$10 a Day Childcare”, “GenSqueeze”, “Poverty and Children”, or “The Living Wage Campaign.” We want to work with you and help you utilize our collaborative online space to talk, act, get involved, learn, grow, and most importantly advocate.

Advocacy and self-advocacy is something that comes from within. It is what you do when you need to take action for yourself and like-minded people. It is absolutely essential to speak up and advocate and allow your voice to be heard.

Joel Kaplan, Executive Director


Send a Tribute Card to someone you care about!

Tribute cards are a thoughtful way to

honour a friend, loved one or someone

special. When you make a contribution,

BC Council for Families sends a card

to the honouree stating that a gift has

been made in his or her honour on your

behalf. Sending a tribute card is also

the perfect way to say: Happy Birthday,

Congratulations, Thank You or even

Thinking of You!

Council for Families

Sending a Tribute Card is easy! You just need to tell us who you would like us to send a tribute to, include a personal greeting, decide which card design you prefer and the amount that you want to send as a tribute. Additionally you can also decide which fund or program your gift will go towards.

One of our popular funds is the Carol Matusicky Endowment Fund. Your donation to Carol’s Fund will help further the work of the BC Council for Families as we strive to strengthen families – through our parenting education and support programs, our information resources for families, research, and through our networks of vital support and ongoing learning for community practitioners.

If you are interested in sending a Tribute Card email us at [email protected] and we will send you a form with all the details.

Documents

Family Connections spring 2014